‘Turkey not after Europe’s money’

TALLINN - Anatolia News Agency

Egemen Bağış. AA photo

Turkey’s EU affairs minister and chief negotiator said Nov. 11 that Turkey was not after Europe’s financial resources. Turkey had constructed more highways, schools and airports than many countries that received financial assistance from the EU in the last nine years, when the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was in power, Egemen Bağış said Nov. 11.

“We have invested in agriculture more than EU countries in nine years and we have tripled our agricultural production. Turkey does not think EU membership will provide more economic advantages to itself,” Bağış told a conference at the Estonian Foreign Ministry in Tallinn on Nov. 11.

Bagis said Turkey’s EU membership was a win-win process for both parties and Turkey would longer for narrow-minded circles in the EU to understand that fact.

Earlier in the day, Bağış met with Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet in Tallinn. They agreed to organize a Scandinavian March in Turkey next spring to symbolize the gathering of Western and Eastern worlds, Bağış said, adding that the march would take place in Istanbul, which was selected as the 2012 European Capital of Sports. He thanked Estonia as it extended great support to Turkey in its membership talks with the EU.

He said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would pay a visit to Estonia in the coming months and further develop the friendship between the two countries. Turkey was the only candidate country whose citizens required visas to enter the EU, Bağış said, adding that such unfair situation should be ended.

Speaking on the Cyprus issue, the EU minister said “Greek Cypriot administration’s caprice” was the biggest reason of preventing resolution of the Cyprus problem and asked EU members to warn the Greek Cypriot administration. Bağış also said the Greek Cypriot administration could not sabotage the ongoing Cyprus negotiation process by bullying